The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-02-05

fixity of channel, and with the ex-
perienee acquired sGch work in
the future will be done more
eheaply and effectively. The river
has been coerced into good be.
hayior, aud the result is a splendid
channel for the purpose Of navi-
cation.
Those navigating the river rec
ognize the signal success of the
efforts made for its amelioration.
and anxiously await further relief
from the government.
There is another means propOs-
ed to be applied in connection
with revetment and channel work.
for the rectifcatl0n and control of
the river, which seems, mere than
anything else, to excite the hostil-
itY and wrath of those who are the
enemies of the enterprise.
| allude to the confinement of
the waters during times of floods
by embankments of earth, called
Ievees, thrown up in moro or less
proximity to the banks.
Notwithstanding the fact that
the idea of improving navigation
by such means had its origin with
eminent engineers, who had no
personal interest whatsoever in
the protection of the adjacent
lands from overflow, and that it is
strenuously urged aud supported
by them, upon what appear to be
incontrovertible scientific princi-
pies, gentlemen persist in arguing
the question as though the inhab-
itants of the Valley were demand
ing that the government enter
upon levee building upon a large
scale, for the sole purpose of
warding off the destructive floods
which at times pour along that
Valley on their way to the Gulf
And when the Representatives of
these inhabitants protest that this
is not true, and that they simply
wish that the engineers in charge
of the work shall be allowed to
prosecute it in their own way, they
are discourteously and without
warrant denounced as mouthers
of false pretenses.
By such methods II is attempted
to excite distrust and prejudice,
and thus accomplish what could
not be won upon the field of fair
argument and discussion. The in
habitants Of the Valley at no time
since this work was inaugurated
have asked for money to be ex.
pended IN constructing levees.
This bill makes no provision of
that kind, and Congress has never
appropriated money for that pur.
pose. We have only asked, and
now only ask, that the Commission
may build levees, if in their judg.
ment they will aid in improving
navigation and facilitating com.
mcrce. The Commission are not
required, bnt simply authorized to
build them.
If gentlemen knew anything
about this matter of levees which
they assume to discuss so flippant.
ly they would know that the resi-.
dents of the Valley, if their sole
purpose was to protect their prop.
erty from the ravages of the
floods, would seek to have the ap.
preparation expended in protect.
ing the banks from caving by
revetment.
So long as the banks cave badly,
so long must levees be rebuilt
from time to time. 1t is this per.
petual drain upon the resources OF
the people to rebuild their levees
which makes protection from
overflow so expensive and bur.
densome. If the caving could be
stopped they could and would of
their own means construct levees
which would endure forever.
If, therefore, the dwellers IN the
, Valley were actuated by such an
unwarrantable purpose as that
attributed to them, they would
seek to have their banks protect.
ed by revetment, which would
give permanent relief, rather than
to have levees built, which, under
existing conditions, must be more
or less wanting in the element of
permanency.
The fact is, they have been as
self reliant since this Commission
was organized as before, and that
means to say that they are now,
as they have been for years, using
every means within their power,
by taxation and otherwise, to com.
bat this great river, without paus.
! ing for one moment to inquire
whether or not the government
. would aid them. Speaking more
particularly, because better in.
formed, with reference to the dis.
: trict which | have the honor to
represent, | will say that the up.
per half, embracing five counties,
J which heretofore was not so well
D protected, has within the past two
I. years raised 100000 for levee
D purposes by issuing its negotiable
: bonds.
SO great is the confidence re-
5 posed In the ability and willing.
!. ness of the property owners to
9 raise money for this purpose by
!. taxation, that these bonds were
8 readily disposed of in New York
0 at par. The lower half of the dis
!. trict has had and maintained a
5 levee system for a long period
s and during the past twelve
Q months expended 100000. To
j. day, along the whole Yazoo front
there is a continuous line of le
r wees which absolutely protected
h the district from tine unusually
high floods of 1856.
n Confidence in the ability and
determination Of the residents oi
F,,l